Archive for the ‘Motorsport’ Category

It is not exactly a secret that in recent times, whether for excessive safety regulations or the nature of the racing series, motorsport is no longer the spectator sport it once was. In fact, ninety percent of all racing series are so boring, they are virtually unwatchable. But fear not, because there are new kind of racing being conceived by the Italian, and this Lamborghini Urus ST-X may herald one of the very best.

This concept racing SUV makes its debut at the 2018 World Finals by Lamborghini Squadra Corse, a division of the Italian supercar maker handling all their motorsport business. The Lamborghini Urus ST-X is a souped up version of the road-going super SUV, designed for a very special one-make racing series in which you get to race other Urus’ on circuit that include both asphalt and off-road tracks. OK, this is not an exactly new idea. But we come on, a bunch of Lambo SUVs swapping paint on tarmac and gravel? That is going to superb to take part in and pretty awesome to watch as well.

The special racing series for Lamborghini Urus ST-X will debut in 2020 in Europe and Middle East. The format is an interesting one with an “arrive and drive” formula where you get a complete package including car and technical support during the race weekends – kind of like what Ferrari does for the Corse Clienti series. It will be extremely expensive to join this unique club, but as spectators we’re going to have a great time following the challenge.

As for what makes the Lamborghini Urus ST-X different than the road version, well, not much really. The main features of the racing car have to do with safety gear, including steel roll cage, fire suppression system, and FT3 fuel tank. The engine and other mechanical bits have also been upgraded to some extent, but it’s very similar to the standard version. The V8 engine, for instance, is booted with a large air intake to deliver 650 hp and 850 Nm of torque. The ST-X concept features the iconic Lambo color that is matt Verde Mantis, complemented with a carbon fiber hood.

Ok. Let’s start by putting out there that this is a highly subjective topic. From person to person, the opinions on the top five or even top ten tracks in the world are likely to vary substantially. The only criteria we are using here is that the tracks have to be cool and interesting to motorsports enthusiasts.

Believe us when we say that this list could be a lot bigger and we realize that we are leaving out some tracks that should at least get an honorable mention, like Daytona, Talladega, Mount Panorama Circuit, and the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. But if we were to put down every great track in the world, this article would never end!

Suzuka International Racing Course, Japan

As a motorsports fan and gearhead, this track is really cool. It has an entire complex loaded with a race-themed amusement park and various restaurants. One of the best things about Suzuka International (top image) is the fact that you can easily set an appointment to drive the track! One of the things that makes this track so unique is it is the only F1 destination with a figure-eight type layout. The long straightaway between that spans through turns fourteen and fifteen crosses over the short stretch that runs between turns nine and ten just before the left turn into turn fifteen. Who wouldn’t want to drive this circuit?

The Redbull Ring, Austria

MotoGP, DTM, and of course, the Austrian Grand Prix are all held here. The former Österreichring track layout, pre-1995 is vastly different than it is now. Not only do sparks fly when high-speed vehicles hit the gnarly turns through thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, but planes fly here too. The Red Bull Air Race World Championships is held here as well, which adds a whole other element of excitement to this track.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Four left turns and a whole bunch of room to party in the middle (infield). We couldn’t leave out the home of the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400. At average speeds that break 187 miles per hour, this track is as historic as it is iconic. It hosted its first major race over 100 years ago in 1911. The 2.5-mile asphalt and brick track is a beast that can hold 235,000 people in the stands and an additional 165,000 in the infield. There is energy to the place that is incomparable to anywhere else.

Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany

Speaking of beasts … the Nürburgring Nordschleife is over 25,000 meters long or in American terms thirteen miles of strut-stress turns. The top drivers in the world have difficulties running a lap at this titan course in under seven minutes. There are more than 150 turns which makes it arguably the most difficult major track on the planet. And the great part is they don’t leave us fans out. When you buy a ticket to the races, you get an opportunity to test your lap-time on the track as well.

Monaco Grand Prix Circuit, Monaco

Street racing extreme! Monaco tops our list because it’s, well … Monaco! The street course is visually stunning as it winds up and downhill through the Monte Carlo city-scape of highrise buildings and stretches out along the water of past multimillion-dollar yachts in the marinas of LA Condamine. There is something special about this 2.075-mile circuit. Maybe because it feels like literally driving through money.

Ok. Let’s start by putting out there that this is a highly subjective topic. From person to person, the opinions on the top five or even top ten tracks in the world are likely to vary substantially. The only criteria we are using here is that the tracks have to be cool and interesting to motorsports enthusiasts.

Believe us when we say that this list could be a lot bigger and we realize that we are leaving out some tracks that should at least get an honorable mention, like Daytona, Talladega, Mount Panorama Circuit, and the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. But if we were to put down every great track in the world, this article would never end!

Suzuka International Racing Course, Japan

As a motorsports fan and gearhead, this track is really cool. It has an entire complex loaded with a race-themed amusement park and various restaurants. One of the best things about Suzuka International (top image) is the fact that you can easily set an appointment to drive the track! One of the things that makes this track so unique is it is the only F1 destination with a figure-eight type layout. The long straightaway between that spans through turns fourteen and fifteen crosses over the short stretch that runs between turns nine and ten just before the left turn into turn fifteen. Who wouldn’t want to drive this circuit?

The Redbull Ring, Austria

MotoGP, DTM, and of course, the Austrian Grand Prix are all held here. The former Österreichring track layout, pre-1995 is vastly different than it is now. Not only do sparks fly when high-speed vehicles hit the gnarly turns through thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, but planes fly here too. The Red Bull Air Race World Championships is held here as well, which adds a whole other element of excitement to this track.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Four left turns and a whole bunch of room to party in the middle (infield). We couldn’t leave out the home of the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400. At average speeds that break 187 miles per hour, this track is as historic as it is iconic. It hosted its first major race over 100 years ago in 1911. The 2.5-mile asphalt and brick track is a beast that can hold 235,000 people in the stands and an additional 165,000 in the infield. There is energy to the place that is incomparable to anywhere else.

Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany

Speaking of beasts … the Nürburgring Nordschleife is over 25,000 meters long or in American terms thirteen miles of strut-stress turns. The top drivers in the world have difficulties running a lap at this titan course in under seven minutes. There are more than 150 turns which makes it arguably the most difficult major track on the planet. And the great part is they don’t leave us fans out. When you buy a ticket to the races, you get an opportunity to test your lap-time on the track as well.

Monaco Grand Prix Circuit, Monaco

Street racing extreme! Monaco tops our list because it’s, well … Monaco! The street course is visually stunning as it winds up and downhill through the Monte Carlo city-scape of highrise buildings and stretches out along the water of past multimillion-dollar yachts in the marinas of LA Condamine. There is something special about this 2.075-mile circuit. Maybe because it feels like literally driving through money.

Motor Racing might be getting more and more boring on account on all the health and safety rules, but at least car makers are trying to make up for that by making better looking racing cars. And they don’t really come more good looking than this, the 2019 Acura NSX GT3 Evo.

The col thing about this car – an evolution, as the name suggests – is that the beauty is more than just skin deep. 2019 Acura NSX GT3 Evo is heavily enhanced for the new season, getting upgraded bodywork, improved performance parts, and better safety. On the aerodynamics front, which is directly related to how the car looks, there are new front splitter, diffuser and rear bumper. And we love how they have finished the car in visible carbon fiber with red accents.

“We are extremely pleased to present the specification of the 2019 NSX GT3 Evo today,” said Masashi Yamamoto, general manager, Honda Motorsports. “While the car has already won in some of the world’s most prestigious GT3 series, we believe in constantly improving our products and providing the best possible equipment and support for our customers. “Through the NSX GT3 Customer Racing Program, an international collaboration between a number of Honda’s technical partners, we have been able to combine expertise on a global level to define a set of upgrades for the latest version of the NSX GT3 that will benefit every one of our customer teams worldwide.”

This year’s Paris Motor Show saw the debut of a new version of Audi’s celebrated customer race car. The 2019 Audi R8 LMS GT3 arrives with improved dynamics and the kind of looks that makes you want to watch an entire 24-hour race!

The racing version of the Audi R8, in GT3 guise, has been around for a while now. The car has nothing to prove as far as racing credentials are concerned. It has had many successes and a glorious resume. That makes coming up with a new version harder and harder for Audi. So each new model has pretty much the same recipe as the one that went before, tweaked for slightly better performance and slightly faster lap times.

The major changes usually happen with the styling. And that, of course, brings about new aerodynamic properties. Now, more often than not these considerations end up ruining the looks of the race car. But that is certainly not the case with the 2019 Audi R8 LMS GT3. In fact, one could say they gave aesthetics a higher priority when designing the new LMS. The car just looks amazing from every angle. But don’t think that means they have been so busy with form, they have forgotten the function. The new design has more efficient aerodynamics and offers better cooling as well.

Technical details of the 2019 Audi R8 LMS GT3 are yet to be released. Deliveries to private teams and customers will begin in November at a sales price of 398,000 euros. There is also an Evo kit you can order for older R8 LMS models priced at 28,000 euros.

This year’s Paris Motor Show saw the debut of a new version of Audi’s celebrated customer race car. The 2019 Audi R8 LMS GT3 arrives with improved dynamics and the kind of looks that makes you want to watch an entire 24-hour race!

The racing version of the Audi R8, in GT3 guise, has been around for a while now. The car has nothing to prove as far as racing credentials are concerned. It has had many successes and a glorious resume. That makes coming up with a new version harder and harder for Audi. So each new model has pretty much the same recipe as the one that went before, tweaked for slightly better performance and slightly faster lap times.

The major changes usually happen with the styling. And that, of course, brings about new aerodynamic properties. Now, more often than not these considerations end up ruining the looks of the race car. But that is certainly not the case with the 2019 Audi R8 LMS GT3. In fact, one could say they gave aesthetics a higher priority when designing the new LMS. The car just looks amazing from every angle. But don’t think that means they have been so busy with form, they have forgotten the function. The new design has more efficient aerodynamics and offers better cooling as well.

Technical details of the 2019 Audi R8 LMS GT3 are yet to be released. Deliveries to private teams and customers will begin in November at a sales price of 398,000 euros. There is also an Evo kit you can order for older R8 LMS models priced at 28,000 euros.

While all car makers are trying these days to go around the Nurburgring in the fastest time possible, drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr has other ideas. In fact, he’s become the first driver to drift the entire way through the 20.7-kilometre circuit. And he’s done that in a 900-hp custom-built Ford Mustang RTR.

Sustaining powerslides for that long is a mighty impressive fit, even in a car like the Mustang RTR. More of a crab than car, this thing features a 5.0 liter engine boosted with a Vortech JL Trim Supercharger. Depending on the tune, it can make between 700 to 900 horsepower. That is certainly enough to keep the RTR sideways for more than 13 miles. But a lot more goes into pulling off a stunt like this. First and foremost, of course, is the skill of the driver. Also, custom steering calibration, tricked-out suspension, and those Nitto tires are to be thanked.

This is about the most mindless thing one can do with a car. But it’s also one of the most fun things one can do with a car. And at the end of the day, that’s the whole point, isn’t it? So well done Mr Gittin!

Gittin Jr: “The Nordschleife is one of, if not, the most iconic tracks in the world and I have been in love with the danger and folklore of the famous ‘Green Hell’ at the Nürburgring since I can remember. I finally went there in person in 2013 and it was then that I made a promise to myself that one day I would return to drift it in its entirety.”

As one of the best looking on the GT grid, or any grid for that matter, the Huracan GT3 is a popular race car. Now teams can have a new version of this beast with not just good looks, but enhanced performance as well. The 2019 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO comes with aerodynamics and performance upgrades.

That is, of course, not to say that the previous Huracan GT3 had performance issues. But you know, when you put EVO at the end of anything’s name, that means the thing is better at its intended role. So the new Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO is faster, sharper and easier to live with than its predecessor. That last part is what Lambo is particularly proud of. They have given the EVO a redesigned roll cage that facilitates access to the roof hatch and offers optimum comfort even for taller drivers.

As for the more technical upgrades, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO boasts uprated suspension with new hubs, bearings and axle shafts. The Öhlins shock absorbers have also been changed to become four way. what’s more, the EVO borrows the Electro Hydraulic Power Steering (EHPS) from SuperTrofeo Huracan. It even gets a new M5 ABS system from Bosch. These are complemented with tweaked aero featuring modified splitter and diffuser as well revised bumpers.

The new Huracan GT3 EVO was presented at the Nurburgring round of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe. The car’s official track debut is scheduled for 24 hours of Daytona 2019.

Giorgio Sanna, Head of Lamborghini Motorsport, commented: “The new Huracán GT3 EVO is the result of experience gained over the last three years of racing on circuits worldwide. The main objective during development was to improve drivability, making the car easier and more predictable for gentleman drivers, with low management costs for the teams. For teams that have invested in Lamborghini in the GT competitions of the past, we offer the opportunity to update the current Huracán GT3s with an EVO kit homologated for the next three years of races. As always, they can make use of our technical support and spare parts services on the track in national and international championships.”

Customer teams and privateers in FIA GT series can soon order a new race car, something so good-looking they won’t care even if it loses all its races. It’s the McLaren 720S GT3, finalizing testing in Europe and US in preparation for the 2019 season.

The awesome looks aside, you would want the McLaren 720S GT3 for its capabilities as well. That, and the superb quality it is going to offer as a race car. McLaren is testing this thing like it’s a production model. They’ve been to Europe, the US and Middle East, racking up thousands of miles on various circuits and under different weather conditions. And they have done thousands of terabytes worth of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations prior to that to make sure the 720S race car is ready for the job.

Easily recognizable as a 720 in spite of its massive aero kit, the McLaren 720S GT3 features a stiff carbon fibre MonoCage II chassis structure, a racing version of the M840T 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine out of the road car, and all the usual race car paraphernalia. The car is priced at £440,000 Ex Works.

“It was an incredibly exciting moment for us to see our new 720S GT3 begin the intensive track-based phase of a development programme that we are confident will provide our customers with a first-class GT race car,” commented Mike Flewitt, McLaren Automotive Chief Executive Officer. “Enabling our customers to go racing is integral tothebusiness strategyof McLaren Automotive andwearecommitted to supplying teams with exceptional GT cars and theworld-classsupport to get the most out of them.”

If you have a hard time deciphering the title, that means the new 2019 50th Anniversary Mustang Cobra Jet does the quarter-mile in the mid-eight-second range. The turnkey racer, as its name clearly suggests, pays homage to the original Cobra Jet made in 1968.

As you would expect from something called the Cobra Jet, this super special Mustang has some beefy specs. The engine powering this wild pony is a 5.2-liter version of the V8 you find in the GT Mustang, boosted with a man-sized 3.0 liter Whipple supercharger. Other highlights include a 9-inch solid rear axle, two-way coil-over shocks with adjustable ride height and a low-drag disc brake system from Strange Engineering as well as a four-link rear suspension with antiroll and panhard bars.

And of course you get NHRA-certified safety roll cage, FIA-certified seats and anniversary-badged racing wheels, plus exclusive 50th Anniversary graphics and badging. As for colors, your choices are limited to Race Red or Oxford White. The car itself is limited to 68 units, each starting at $130,000 MSRP. The new Cobra Jet makes its public debut this weekend at the 2018 Woodward Dream Cruise.

“From the very first Mustang Cobra Jets dominating the 1968 NHRA Winternationals to our modern-day racers, the Ford Performance Parts team continues to build on Cobra Jet’s success at the track over five decades,” said Eric Cin, global director, Ford Performance Parts. “This has inspired generations of Mustang fans to create their own performance machines for the street.”

As promised, Ford revealed a new NASCAR racing version of its best-selling sports car, the Mustang. The 2019 NASCAR Mustang will see official action in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019, but we will probably get to see it in action before that in promotional campaigns.

And we would want to see the NASCAR Mustang because unlike most other NASCAR machines this one maintains a good resemblance to the production model it is based on, and that enables the fans to connect with it on a deeper level. In fact, more and more NASCAR racers are shifting toward a more recognizable look. There is the Toyota Camry NASCAR, this Mustang, and the recently announced Toyota Supra NASCAR.

The Mustang already has a long and glorious racing career, starting with the 4,000 mile Tour de France Automobile rally when it was fresh off the production line in 1964, and continuing with events such as SCCA Trans-Am, IMSA, NHRA, Formula Drift and NASCAR Xfinity. Now the 2019 NASCAR Mustang adds the Cup Series to the list of events the pony car has under its belt, an event that it will hopefully do well at.

“Ever since we announced in April that Mustang would be going to the Cup level in 2019, we’ve heard nothing but positive feedback,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Our Ford Performance team has worked hard with the Ford Design team to create a Mustang that will be competitive on the track while remaining true to its proud heritage. We can’t wait to see it winning races in the NASCAR Cup Series next year.”

If one were asked to associate the Toyota Supra with a field of motorsport it is best suited for, one would almost certainly go for drifting. The Japanese character of the car lends itself verily to that kind of activities. But with the new 2019 Supra Toyota is taking the car to a wildly different route. They’re taking it NASCAR racing.

Of course, Toyota is no stranger to NASCAR. We all remember their Tundras and Camrys dominating the sport for years. But still, the idea of a Toyota Supra NASCAR sounds kind of weird. And the car looks weird, too, as you can see in this promotional video and also the unveiling ceremony where they got former Top Gear America host and American South poster boy Rutledge Wood as the hype man.

The 2019 Toyota Supra NASCAR is built for the Xfinity Series and will make its track debut in the NXS race at Daytona February next year. Given the success of Toyota’s previous NASCAR campaigns, a lot is riding on this car, which is why the company enlisted the services of all its subsidiaries, including TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) in Costa Mesa, California, and Calty Design Research, Inc. (Calty) in Newport Beach, California, to make sure they have built a competitive machine.

“When you talk Toyota and cool cars, Supra is the first thing that comes to mind for many auto enthusiasts,” said Ed Laukes, group vice president of Toyota Division Marketing. “Supra’s return in production form is huge news, but now we’re also going to see this iconic sports car return to American motorsport. From a marketing perspective, it’s important to have a race car that evokes the dynamism and character of its showroom counterpart. We’re confident we’ve accomplished that with Supra, and we hope racing fans the world over will proudly cheer its success on track.”

Ever since it was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, SEAT’s CUPRA e-Racer has been teasing us with how awesome it is to look and how superb it is to drive. But we hadn’t actually seen the thing in action, until now. The e-Racer made it track debut recently in Zagreb (Croatia).

To be honest, it wasn’t a full track outing for the CUPRA e-Racer. The purpose of this test was to test the integration of the electric battery pack with the rest of the vehicle, meaning SEAT engineers wanted to make sure whether it worked at all or not. It did, we’re glad to report, and “tests yielded very positive conclusions” as well.

Not that it was particularly surprising. Each individual component was tested and evaluated, and since the whole construction of machines like this is kind of modular, if every building block does what it’s supposed to, then the whole should work flawlessly. The tests showed the the electrical, battery, cooling and propulsion systems have no issues working together and with the mechanical parts of the CUPRA e-Racer.

The e-Racer features a battery pack consisting of 6,072 round cell batteries, which is equivalent 9,000 mobile phone batteries. This car is built for E TCR series, the first ever electric, multi-brand touring car championship. And although in theory the electric motor fitted to it can be immensely powerful – in excess of 600 horsepower – it’ll probably be capped by regulation in the final competition version.

Well, looks like karting is the next field of motorsport to go electric, at least if the students from the SEAT Apprentice School have their way. These youngsters have built a fully functioning electric kart and it has already seen competitive action where it finished a very respectable second place.

The team entered their electric kart in the Kart Academy at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in Montmeló and performed extremely well for a prototype, beating almost all of the petrol-powered competition. This is a feather in cap not just for the students, but also for their professors and SEAT Apprentice School in general. They have recognized the genius of these kids and provided them with testing facilities prior to the Barcelona race.

The student-built electric kart features a 5.5 kW engine and is equipped with a 48V battery. Apart from the electric power, the 1.74 metres long and 1.36 metres wide go kart performs like a regular kart, having gone through braking, accelerating, endurance and slalom trails with flying colors. The students also scooped the ‘Industry’ award for mid-degree students presented by FP Emprèn, an organisation which rewards vocational training schools in and around Barcelona.

According to Laura Carnicero, the head of training at SEAT and director of the Apprentice School “the success of this electric kart project shows that the School teaches the necessary technological skills for the automotive industry of the future, enabling the students to become entrepreneurial, competitive professionals.”

Yesterday a group of Porsche racing drivers and engineers congregated with a Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, causally trying to set a lap record. They went on to break the all-time lap record for the Green Hell with a time of 5 minutes and 19.55 seconds.

That is near as makes no difference a full minute (okay, 51.58 seconds) faster than the previous record of 6:11.13 minutes set by Stefan Bellof 35 years ago. That makes the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo the new king of the Hell. The record was set by Timo Bernhard, five-time overall winner of the Nürburgring 24-hours, two-time outright winner of the Le Mans 24-hours and reigning World Endurance Champion with the Porsche 919 Hybrid. I think it is fair to say he was the right man for the job!

Bernhard’s driving skills aside, a big part of this success is down to the technical brilliance of the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo. The racing machine boasts a hybrid powertrain with a system output of 1160 hp, and it weighs only 849 kilograms. No wonder then that during the record-breaking lap it hit a top speed of 369.4 km/h (229.5 mph). The good news is that the hybrid technology from this car is trickling down to Porsche road cars as well.

LMP Team Principal Andreas Seidl commented: “As a race team we constantly search for challenges that push a car, driver and team to operate on the limit. Conquering the “Green Hell” definitely provided such a challenge. Since last winter we were preparing for that task together with our tyre partner Michelin – painstakingly and with a great deal of respect for this track. Today we have shown the full potential of the 919 Evo. Congratulations to Timo for his sensational drive. Being a record winner at the Nürburgring, Timo was the logical choice for the job. Balancing attack and caution at all times was mandatory on this circuit. Safety is the highest priority. In this regard, I also like to thank the Nürburgring team. Porsche cultivates a long and deep relationship with the ‘Ring. Record attempts wouldn’t be possible without the highly professional track support.“

This year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event witnessed the smashing of a bunch of important records. Two of them were for the electric cars and overall course record, both broken by the VW I.D. R, and the third the fastest time set by a production SUV, claimed by the super deluxe Bentley Bentayga.

The big, luxurious SUV showed off its dynamic capabilities in the hands of Rhys Millen who guided the car up the 12.42-mile Pikes Peak course in 10:49.9. That is nearly two minutes faster than the previous record for an SUV. The amazing feat was accomplished by a range-topping W12 version of the Bentley Bentayga boasting 600 bhp, 900 Nm of torque, adaptive air suspension, active electric 48V anti-roll control and carbon ceramic brakes. The SUV also averaged 66.5 mph throughout the course which is impressive unto its own.

The record breaking Bentley Bentayga Pikes Peak was completely standard except for having its rear seats were removed, and a roll cage and fire suppression system put in. The DOT-marked Pirelli tires and Akrapovic sports exhaust are available to order for the production car.

To celebrate the record run at Pikes Peak, Bentley confirmed that they will be making a special limited edition of the Bentayga with deep Beluga black paint or striking Radium, with 22” wheels in a bespoke two-tone finish,Black Specification pack as standard, carbon fibre splitter, side skirts, diffuser and rear spoiler, and of course subtle Pikes Peka Motifs. Inside, the limited edition will feature Mulliner Design Colour Split marries Key Lime accents with Beluga leather, with Alcantara inserts to the seats and doors as well steering wheel and gear knob. There will also be Pikes Peak logo decorates the carbon fibre fascias, and numbered Pikes Peak treadplates.

It tool a lot of effort and God knows how much money, but they’ve done it. Volkswagen has broken the record for the Pikes Peak international hill climb with the fully-electric VW I.D. R, setting an astonishing time of 7m 57.148s minutes which is a full 16 seconds faster than the previous record.

And that is the overall records we’re talking about, not just the time for electric cars. The 500 kW (680 PS) VW I.D. R is now the king of Pikes Peak in every category, and it will probably remain so for the foreseeable future. After all, it took five years for the previous record,set by Sebastian Loeb in 2013, to be bested. But then again, that was the age internal combustion. In the electric age things move at a much faster pace. So yeah, let’s not make any predictions.

The VW I.D. R Pikes Peak record also turned its driver, the French man Romain Dumas,into a legend. His name is now forever mentioned in the same breath as the giants such as Sebastian Loeb, Walter Röhrl (D), Michèle Mouton (F), Stig Blomqvist (S), Nobuhiro Tajima (J) and also Rod Millen and his son Rhys (both NZ). It was, in short, the perfect game.

“The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the sporty forerunner of Volkswagen’s I.D. family. Today, we saw what this technology is capable of,” said Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for “Technical Development”. “Every Volkswagen employee can be extremely proud of today’s result. I congratulate the team from the bottom of my heart. With a combination of outstanding engineering skills, passion and commitment, the team has managed to create a fantastic racing car in just eight months. The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak has now set the fastest time in the history of this hill climb, which spans more than 100 years – that speaks volumes for electric mobility.”

This year’s Pikes Peak race to the clouds will be headed by the VW I.D. R Pikes Peak electric race car. The I.D. earned this honor by setting the fastest time during the qualifying session in which Romain Dumas climbed the first 8 kilometer section of the course in 3:16.083.

That was more than 11 seconds faster than the second fastest time, which will kind of make the race itself pointless, and VW I.D. R’s win a forgone conclusion. After all, it had a huge gap in qualifying over the second quickest car. Mind you, Pikes Peak is a hill climb and qualifying times are only used to determine the starting order for the race. They are not really important. The race could still hold surprises.

On Sunday 24 June VW will pursue its goal of setting a new record for the famous Pikes Peak course in Colorado-an occasion that will not only be a great achievement for VW and their driver, but for electric cars everywhere.

“That was a very good day for us,” said Dumas. “The I.D. R Pikes Peak is incredible. I have never experienced acceleration and power like that in a racing car. I am noticing how the car and I are becoming more and more of a unit with every kilometer,” said the Frenchman.

Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director, was also happy with the way qualifying panned out: “A big compliment to the entire team. We completed an important test yesterday, the findings from which have helped us to further optimize the set-up of the I.D. R Pikes Peak. The result is that the car was superbly prepared today, and the time speaks for itself. However, that was only qualifying. We are optimistic about the race, but must always bear in mind that we only have one single attempt.”

Nissan’s tuning and motorsport arm Nismo announced the release of the new 2018 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 race car. Though they call is a 2018 model, the deliveries won’t begin until January 2019 and for a price of ¥60,000,000, which is about $550,000 USD at the current exchange rate.

For that you get a race car that is an absolute nerd fest in terms of attention to little details and tiny upgrades designed to make the car 0.0001 of a second faster around certain corners. One of the main highlights of the 2018 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 is the lowered center of gravity combined with a dry sump lubrication system and optimized weight distribution which should result in better handling. There is also newly designed suspension and revised aero package, as well as enhanced rigidity, both flexural and torsional. The 2018 model also gets an optional air conditioning system plus improved brakes. The maintenance cycles are also farther apart now. So all in all, a pretty excellent racing car, though a very expensive one.

“To develop the 2018 model NISSAN GT-R NISMO GT3, NISMO, as the official sporting arm of NISSAN, has made full use of the advanced technology and expertise we have gained through our vast experience in racing, and this car is built to be competitive in GT3 racing around the world, ” said Takao Katagiri, CEO of NISMO. “Whilst this is its first year of actual competition, it is already demonstrating its competitiveness, having attained achievements such as a 3rd place podium finish in the Japan ‘s SUPER GT (GT300 class) and a 3rd place overall finish in the Blancpain GT Series Asia. I would like to greatly thank our official partner teams for being the first to choose and demonstrate the full potential of the car and we have high hopes that a number of teams will be competing with the 2018 model NISSAN GT-R NISMO GT3.”

There is a new customer race car for those gentleman drivers who are serious about their expensive hobby and, of course, private teams looking to make a name for themselves in GT racing. The new Porsche 911 GT3 R i the racing version of the GT3 RS road car, and it has some very nice specs.

Available to order now for the princely sum of 459,000 Euro (before tax) and set to be delivered in December 2018, Porsche 911 GT3 R is powered by the same four-litre flat-six you find in the RS road car. Here it makes over 550 horsepower, with the actual output to be determined by the rules of the class it will race in. The R is a different animal than the RS though, thanks to a range of racing parts and a lightweight construction.

The GT3 R race car features a aluminium-steel composite construction with roof, front hood and fairing, wheel arches, doors, side and tail sections as well as the rear lid and interior trim made from extra light carbon composites. What’s more, all windows consist of polycarbonate. Add to that a Porsche sequential six-speed constant-mesh gearbox, race exhaust system and six electronically operated throttle valves,and you end up with a serious performance machine.

There have been some major improvements in the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 R over the previous generation, with the main highlights including an upgraded braking system, enhanced pit capability where the 120-litre FT3 safety fuel cell can now be refilled from the left or the right depending on the circuit layout, seats are now bolted at six points, adjustable pedal box, and re-designed, more ergonomic cabin which now features air conditioning for the first time.